Denver Public Schools Teacher’s Contract To Expire At Midnight

DENVER (CBS4) – The teacher’s contract will expire at midnight between Denver Public Schools and Denver Classroom Teacher’s Association, the teacher’s union. The two sides had been trying to reach an agreement during negotiations leading up to the contract’s expiration.

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On Friday night, teachers marched outside the room where both sides had been negotiating, carrying signs and chanting. But it seems the two sides couldn’t reach a solution.

DCTA is going to meet with the teachers on Saturday and they will either vote to accept the DPS proposal or ratify a strike.

Denver Public Schools has released multiple responses to negotiations online to share with the public its view of how the process is playing out with the union. Administrators say one proposal included one of the highest starting rates for teachers in the metro area, and the average teacher seeing an increase in pay around 10 percent.

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They also highlight a pathway to $100,000 for certain teachers based on experience and education. To achieve these changes, the district says it is making cuts at the administrative level and using $7 million from the central office to put into its compensation package.

(credit: CBS)

The union has scheduled a vote for Saturday, but would wait until after the MLK Jr. holiday weekend on Tuesday to complete the process. A strike would not begin until the end of the month.